This invention relates generally to a metal drawer head, i.e., the front part of a metal drawer which is commonly made separate from and later attached to the sides of the drawer body, and more particularly, to a method for making a metal drawer head using a single progressive die wherein the entire drawer head is formed, through various stages without removal from the die, from flat stock into a final part ready to be attached to the sides of the drawer body.
The making of metal drawer heads is well known in the prior art. Conventional methods of making a metal drawer head involve separately forming two parts which are then connected together, typically welded, to form the final drawer head which is attached to the drawer body. Additionally, these methods utilize flanging and/or roll forming processes to bend the metal into the desired shape. Moreover, multiple operations carried out in the making of the prior art drawer head require partially finished portions of the drawer head to be manipulated by a human operator during the forming process.
One prior art method of making a metal drawer head involves separately forming a drawer front portion and a handle portion and then connecting them together before the completed drawer head can be attached to the sides of a drawer body. The drawer front portion is formed in multiple stages, including an initial stage where stock material is trimmed to a certain shape configured to facilitate subsequent forming operations, such as forming flanges. The holes are pierced to create connection members for attachment to the front of the drawer body. Subsequent flanging stages complete the forming of the drawer front portion. The handle portion is roll formed in a separate multiple stage process, which includes trimming stock material, forming notches, and piercing holes. Subsequent stages include roll-form shaping of the handle portion, and secondary piercing and forming operations. After the two separate drawer front and handle portions are finished, they are spot welded together and are thereafter attached to the front of the drawer body.
As can be understood, it is thus desirable to provide a method wherein the entire metal drawer head can be formed from flat stock to finished part in a single process requiring no human manipulation. Such a method can greatly improve efficiency and reduce the cost of making the metal drawer head.
The invention provides a method for making a metal drawer head wherein the drawer head can be formed as a unitary part, in a presently preferred embodiment using a multiple stage progressive die. Metal stock material can be formed into a unitary metal drawer head having the final desired shape without having to remove the part from the die at any time and without the need for any human manipulation during the forming process. Moreover, a rotary forming process can be used to form the flanges on the drawer head, unlike conventional methods which use flanging or roll-forming processes. A preferred method can utilize a multiple stage process which carries out the entire forming process from flat stock to finished part. During the process, flat stock is first trimmed into a configuration designated to facilitate subsequent flanging processes. Other processing can include creating connection elements such as holes and tabs, for attaching the finished drawer head to the sides of a drawer body. Additionally, the flanges can be rotary formed at each side of the part, including the formation of a handle. The edge of the handle can be hemmed under to form a smooth front edge, the corners of which can also be trimmed into rounded corners. Finally, waste material which was utilized to process the drawer head through the different stages can be trimmed off and discarded, leaving the finished part.
Accordingly, stock material can be formed into a finished metal drawer head in one continuous process wherein all of the forming procedures for the metal drawer head can be performed without the need for human manipulation of the part at any stage in the process.
Other details, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings figures of certain embodiments thereof.